Ep. 131: Kate McKinnon - Redefining Company Culture, Conversations on HR, Sports, and Empathy
Kate McKinnon is the former Head of Human Resources at Playfly Sports, a leading sports media and marketing company. There, she led the People function through a fast-paced, high-growth phase - helping the company earn recognition as both a Most Loved Workplace and one of the Best Employers in Sports. Today, she leads her own consulting practice focused on empowering organizations by prioritizing their most valuable asset: people. Her work centers on: Leadership Develop...
Kate McKinnon is the former Head of Human Resources at Playfly Sports, a leading sports media and marketing company. There, she led the People function through a fast-paced, high-growth phase - helping the company earn recognition as both a Most Loved Workplace and one of the Best Employers in Sports.
Today, she leads her own consulting practice focused on empowering organizations by prioritizing their most valuable asset: people. Her work centers on:
- Leadership Development
- HR Strategy & Culture Building
- Personalized Career Coaching
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Quick Episode Summary:
Kate McKinnon shares Human Resource insights, Philly sports, and kindness stories.
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🔥 Torch Takeaways Include:
Kate shares hard-earned lessons on:
◼ Hilarious stories about being mistaken for the other Kate McKinnon
◼ Why exclamation points (and emojis!) matter in emails
◼ The myth that HR is just the “company police”
◼ Lessons from Philly sports, The Office’s Toby, and a memorable story of airline biscotti
◼ Her upcoming book, From Classroom to Career, for anyone navigating big career transitions
◼ Plus: Kate’s advice for young professionals, her take on evolving workplace culture post-pandemic, favorite Maya Angelou & Mr. Rogers quotes, and why we all need to give each other a little more grace.
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Podcast Chapters:
00:00 Experience with Playfly Sports
06:11 Email communication in organizations
08:21 Corporate culture misconceptions
11:16 Communicating career growth expectations
13:49 Post-pandemic workplace challenges
17:13 Flight attendant shares snacks
20:25 Discussing favorite quotes and insights
25:08 First impression of Connor Barwin
27:10 Iconic game and Eagles parade
29:42 Being a passionate Philly sports fan
36:05 Importance of giving grace and Billboard Message
Connect with Passing The Torch: Facebook and IG: @torchmartin
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Episode 81: Kurt Warner – Perseverance, Humility, and Lighting the Way
Episode 90: Michelle 'MACE' Curran – How to Turn Fear into Fuel
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00:00 - Experience with Playfly Sports
06:11 - Email communication in organizations
08:21 - Corporate culture misconceptions
11:16 - Communicating career growth expectations
13:49 - Post-pandemic workplace challenges
17:13 - Flight attendant shares snacks
20:25 - Discussing favorite quotes and insights
25:08 - First impression of Connor Barwin
27:10 - Iconic game and Eagles parade
29:42 - Being a passionate Philly sports fan
36:05 - Importance of giving grace and Billboard Message
Kate McKinnon is the former Head of Human Resources at Playfly Sports, a leading sports media and marketing company. There, she led the People function through a fast-paced, high-growth phase - helping the company earn recognition as both a Most Loved Workplace and one of the Best Employers in Sports.
Today, she leads her own consulting practice focused on empowering organizations by prioritizing their most valuable asset: people. Her work centers on:
- Leadership Development
- HR Strategy & Culture Building
- Personalized Career Coaching
-
Quick Episode Summary:
Kate McKinnon shares Human Resource insights, Philly sports, and kindness stories.
-
🔥 Torch Takeaways Include:
Kate shares hard-earned lessons on:
◼ Hilarious stories about being mistaken for the other Kate McKinnon
◼ Why exclamation points (and emojis!) matter in emails
◼ The myth that HR is just the “company police”
◼ Lessons from Philly sports, The Office’s Toby, and a memorable story of airline biscotti
◼ Her upcoming book, From Classroom to Career, for anyone navigating big career transitions
◼ Plus: Kate’s advice for young professionals, her take on evolving workplace culture post-pandemic, favorite Maya Angelou & Mr. Rogers quotes, and why we all need to give each other a little more grace.
-
Podcast Chapters:
00:00 Experience with Playfly Sports
06:11 Email communication in organizations
08:21 Corporate culture misconceptions
11:16 Communicating career growth expectations
13:49 Post-pandemic workplace challenges
17:13 Flight attendant shares snacks
20:25 Discussing favorite quotes and insights
25:08 First impression of Connor Barwin
27:10 Iconic game and Eagles parade
29:42 Being a passionate Philly sports fan
36:05 Importance of giving grace and Billboard Message
-
Kate's Resources:
◼ Website: https://katemckinnonhrsolutions.com/
◼ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katemckinnon/
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Episode Mentions:
Saquon Barkley – Sam Darnold – Connor Barwin
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Quotes to open episode:
“When I was a boy and saw scary things in the news, my mother would say, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’’ - Mr. Rogers
"Work should feel human. Leadership should be intentional."